Me and what makes me tick

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Woke up to rain this morning; a shower which didn’t last long. After drinking a couple cups of coffee I noticed that it was almost 7 and the girls weren’t down from their house. I slipped on shoes and trudged up the hill to wake them up. After banging on the window and calling them, they crawled of bed and let me in, where they quickly dressed. As we walked out of the house and pulled the door close, the kitten slid out……ooops, the door was locked, I had no key with me and the kitten was outside. So, with no time to waste going home for the key, we slid up the living room window and tossed the kitten inside, lowering the window behind his little bootie. Then down the hill we went to finish getting ready for school and work.

I began the day by checking email and working some on that blasted website, which seems to be whipping me. Drats. Then when the rain, which had come again, subsided, I tackled the tag shed. It gets in such a mess because Terry keeps piling stuff in there, the door is never closed and stray cats and other critters go in and tumble pots and tags everywhere. I managed to get one end of it cleaned and neat, but I still have a lot to do to make it presentable.

Insurance folks called to question us on the damage from Gustav and were confused on what coverage we had. Terry called our insurance man, who was on the phone with the insurance company. Later our Insurance man, whose name is Terry also, came up and looked at the plastic, shade cloth and soffit from the store. He said his secretary had grouped all our greenhouses together, rather than listing them separate. A mistake, but he would work it out between him and the company.

As I took breaks, I continued to search, work, try different things on the website I’m trying to build. Then I’d go back to the tag shed. When the girls came in, we fed the goldfish and cleaned the filters, adding the anti-algae stuff to the water. Then we came home and they did their homework, while I washed dishes and prepared supper.

This morning Terry had called his mom, who mentioned she was trying to get hold of Judy, the oldest girl who lives down the street from Mother. She couldn’t reach Judy because the message was that the phone had been temporarily disconnected. After talking with his mom, Terry decided to try calling Judy himself. He got the same message. Then he tried her cell phone and she answered. When he asked, she said she hadn’t paid the bill.

What a shock coming from a woman who always made sure the bills were paid. Seems there has been trouble for a few years due to her gambling at the casinos. Money her husband makes hauling cars disappeared, credit cards are maxed out and bills don’t get paid. Robert is beside himself, not wanting to walk away from everything he has worked for all these years—yet not wanting to live the way he’s living. He has talked with us about this problem in the past. My advice was to open a checking account in his name only, buy a safe for his cash, and cancel the credit cards. He could also take over paying the bills, if living with her is what he wants to continue to do.

Years, I’ve envied them. Even though they have often lived payday to payday, they still have a nice home, new vehicles, nice clothes and money didn’t seem to be an object once Robert started hauling cars for the car lots. While I’ve not always been comfortable with Judy, and often felt she thought she was better than me, I love her very much. Much of my feelings are due to my own insecurities, not any way she’s ever treated me. It’s painful to think of the mess she’s gotten them into. Addiction takes over every aspect of a person’s life, and affects so many people.

I’m so sorry for her and Robert and I pray that God work in their lives to bring them to a solution. I don’t want to see them lose their home and have their utilities turned off because of gambling.

Mother would be so stressed out, as I know she is even now, for while she may not know the details, I know she suspects and she worries. She’s over 80, in bad health herself and tending to her hubby with Alzheimers’. She doesn’t need this too.

On a brighter note, I emailed the girl’s counselor yet again, and got a return phone call. We have a session schedules for the 15th at 4 PM.